August 09, 2007

Definition

My strategies for summer seem to have worked. Our number of people who sit down, mess up the table and then leave because....we don't have (clam chowder/fish & chips/kids menu/whatever) has significantly declined. I would say it's only happened about 4-5 times this summer, in the past it used to happen 4-5 times a weekend. Adding a ton of steak choices helped also. We used to have only 1, usually a hanger or tri-tip and the set in their ways steak eaters wouldn't try them.

It's been an interesting summer though. The GM's absence is subtly felt (please don't take this as an entreaty to return to work sweetie). She is good at furthering and maintaining connections with the mostly female front of the house crew, and her organizational standards and abilities greatly exceed mine. She is much more capable of seeing the bigger picture at a glance. Fortunately, we've been together nearly 14 years and I have been able to internalize a small portion of those qualities.

Her absence is forcing me to define my role. Am I a front of the house guy now? Am I a chef? What does the business need me to be? What do I want to be? I find I am liking both, for different reasons. And while the chef in me wants to be in the kitchen, the owner in me knows there is no real substitute in a small restaurant for the owner out on the floor, dealing with the customers. The chef in me wants to think the food is what's important. The owner in me knows that how people feel when they come to, experience, then leave the restaurant is what's important and the food is a rather slender piece of that.

I will need to spend a month or so in the kitchen. My whelmer's last day is Friday and I'll need to get the new guy integrated as part of the team. The new guy is actually a returnee. He's worked for us before, is the cousin by marriage of my most solid guy and the brother-in-law of one of the dishwashers and the other really solid Mexican cook. Unfortunately he and his wife are on shaky ground. I've asked all of them if that is going to be a problem for any of them and they've assured me it won't be. Regardless, I have the opportunity to redefine the kitchen's outlook in a way that wasn't possible with the whelmer on board and I need to make the most of it.

We'll be changing a few desserts this weekend. I'm thinking about a pound cake or angel food cake with grilled peaches and basil, blackberry crisp with brown butter gelato and some type of cool (temperature) chocolate.

Comments

Hey, I liked yer tritip greatly. Plus all the choices in dressing the sucker up is outstanding. Eating at a restaurant should be an adventure, not a repeat of what you had yesterday. You need a sign as you enter, "If you're stupid, please leave."

Hey,
I found your blog completely by accident - I run a website called knifesedge.net, related to role-playing games and one of my players found your blog.
I happen to also be a GM of a restaurant and found your blog to be insightful and utterly interesting. I'll certainly be checking back.
Craig

Dave- probably the single biggest thing was collecting menus from all the other restaurants in the area in a binder, and when people are looking at our menu questioningly, offering them the binder, along with recommendations.

About 30% of them realize that they've got the best shot at a good meal with us and stay, hopefully the rest of them leave thinking we are just plain helpful and may try us another time.